104 Place-Names 



in Parson Drove; and Apes Hall in Littleport; hyrst in Shrewsness Green in 

 Up well ; and Boleness in Wisbech St Peter. The occurrence of hyrst, leak, 

 and holt on the peat and silt is noteworthy. 



From the Isle of Ely, too, comes an example of wold covering a wide 

 area in which other names indicative of the former existence of woodland 

 are to be found. In early medieval documents, numerous references are 

 found to a place Walde or Wolde in Witchford. According to Bentham, 

 the name Wold survived in his day as that of certain arable and pasture 

 lands in Witchford,' but it was undoubtedly once used of an extensive 

 district. In the west of the Isle, at Sutton, was a hythe or landing-place in 

 the wood known as Waldhethe, and in the same parish there were two hills 

 called Waldun and Waldelowe, while a Woolden Lane still survives 

 in Haddenham. From Witchford, this forest-land stretched into Ely 

 where both le Wold and Woldeffeld are mentioned, wliilst in Downham, 

 too, there is Brodwold. A road or track called Waldehethewey ran across 

 this wold which must have included most of the high clayland of the Isle 

 of Ely; part of this, at least, in Wilburton and Witcham, was known as 

 Bruneswold at the end of the thirteenth century. 



Much more that is of topographical and historical interest may be 

 gathered from the place-names of the Isle of Ely. Seadike Bank and Sea 

 Field in Leverington recall the memory of the sea-wall that once protected 

 the coast of Cambridgeshire from Tydd St Giles to Wisbech, and that gave 

 name in Norfolk to Walsoken, West Walton, and Walpole. Coveney, 

 "the island in the bay", is a reminder that the West Fen was once marsh 

 and water; the coast of the ancient bay can easily be traced from the 

 contours. Not far away is Wardy Hill, "the island from which watch was 

 kept", a name that may be of some historical significance for it is on the 

 line of the long, narrow island running north to March, "the boimdary", 

 probably that between East and Middle Angha. Among the other 

 numerous islands are Shippea and Quy where sheep and cows were 

 pastured, Henny and Cranney, frequented by wild fowl and herons, and 

 Manea near where the parishes of the neighbourhood pastured their 

 cattle in common.' 



Around the island ran innumerable watercourses, the Old and the South 

 Eau, unetymological GaUicisings of the Old English ea "river", already 

 noted in the Rhee (or Cam) and surviving also in Welney and Wissey. 

 Bradney House in Benwick, and Bradney Farm in March, are both near 



' J. Bentham, The History and Antiquities of the Conventual and Cathedral Church of 

 Ely (2nd ed. 1812), p. 75. 



' Manea means "island or low-lying land held in common or where commoning 

 took place". 



